Top 11 Wyoming Towns To Visit In 2025
At the big plains of Wyoming, travelers from all over can reconnect with America's lush outdoors and turbulent history in the top 11 Wyoming towns to visit in 2025. Between towns like Jackson that promote the unparalleled natural sceneries that Wyoming is famous for preserving, and destinations like Cody that contextualize the nuanced narratives that shaped these communities, visitors to these Wyoming towns will have fun and fulfillment in their vacations.
Jackson
The spectacular town of Jackson thrives in Teton County. With the Teton Mountain Range surrounding the area, Jackson is a perfect destination for skiing and snowboarding, especially with three unique ski resorts in the immediate area. There is the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Teton Village, the Snow King Mountain Resort in Jackson itself, and the Grand Targhee Resort just west of the slopes of the Teton Mountains. Each one provides various access and experiences to the Teton Mountain Range and its snowy and cultural delights.
During the spring, Jackson promotes the annual Shed Hunt Opener, during which people are encouraged to pick up shed antlers from moose, deer, and elk that graze in the area. Many of these shed antlers are on full display in the Town Square, where an arch formed out of antlers leads travelers toward the National Elk Refuge. Just north of Jackson is the Grand Teton National Park, where Grand Teton, one of the highest mountains in Wyoming, looms, and far beyond that is the Yellowstone National Park.
All the explorations in Jackson you can immerse yourselves in will inevitably get you exhausted. In this case, you will need to rest and rejuvenate for another day of rewarding adventure in Jackson鈥檚 amicable lodgings, such as The Lodge at Jackson Hole, Snow King Resort Hotel and Condos, or the Hitching Post Lodge.
Buffalo
With the Bighorn Mountains looming in the distance, Buffalo is a beautiful and bodacious small town that was elected True Western Towns of the Year in 2018 and 2019 by True West Magazine. This recognition was given to Buffalo mainly because of its history, as Sioux, Arapaho, and Cheyenne Native Americans once hunted in Buffalo for buffalos along a buffalo trail. However, when forts such as Fort Phil Kearny were established along the Bozeman Trail to protect miners and pioneers, Buffalo soon became a Wild West town with many infamous incidents transpiring in the nearby area. Among these events were the Fetterman's Massacre Site and the Wagon Box Fight.
These days, Buffalo is renowned for being a convenient gateway to the Bighorn National Forest, a gargantuan region of mountains, forests, abandoned campsites, and reservoirs from a bygone period. It is also famous for the "Hole in the Wall,鈥� which was the hideout of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, along with the rest of the Wild Bunch. You will also find the Occidental Hotel in Buffalo. In this historic lodging, famous Western writer Owen Wister produced his fabled cowboy novel, The Virginian, based on actual cowboys like Butch Cassidy and Calamity Jane, who often visited the Occidental.
Dubois
Visitors will not feel so dubious once they see the majesty and marvels worth sightseeing in the small town of Dubois. Only about an hour and a half east of Jackson, Dubois is famous for its access to the Wind River, Absaroka, and Owl Creek Mountain ranges, and many of these destinations are available via horseback. One can ride on a magnificent steed when traversing the Green River Lakes Trailhead to the south or through the Shoshone National Forest in the north. On your journey around Dubois, you will likely come across the biggest herds of bighorn sheep, which you can learn more about at the National Bighorn Sheep Center. Meanwhile, the Dubois Museum & Wind River Historical Center gives a comprehensive narrative regarding the indigenous Shoshone artifacts and petroglyphs you can locate around Dubois and a deeper understanding of early 鈥渄ude鈥� ranches and homesteaders.
Undoubtedly, the best activity you can try out in Dubois is the Pedigree Stage Stop Race, a premier sled dog race occurring every February where one can watch people on dog sleds race through Dubois and all the way to Jackson. Surprisingly, the National Museum of Military Vehicles stands as a stark contrast to all the serene and peaceful nature sceneries around Dubois, as this particular museum serves as the nation鈥檚 海角社区-class military history museum featuring the vehicles and arsenals that bolstered America鈥檚 capacity for war.
Sheridan
Approximately 35 miles north of Buffalo and close to the state border of Montana, the stupendous town of Sheridan is also another convenient gateway to the Bighorn Mountains and the Bighorn National Forest. At the Historic Sheridan Inn Hotel, not only can you book rooms in this historic edifice, but you can also learn all about the famous author Ernest Hemingway, who completed his story, A Farewell to Arms, in one of the rooms of the Sheridan Inn Hotel. The Sheridan Inn also housed another famous individual known as Buffalo Bill, who at the time was still known as William Frederick Cody, an Army Scout who stayed at the inn on January 8, 1894, and became his base of operations in northern Wyoming. There is a cherrywood bar in the Sheridan Inn that Queen Victoria of England gave to Buffalo Bill after she concluded her Golden Jubilee on June 20 and 21, 1887, which you can get a neat drink from at any time.
Right next to these historic lodgings is the Trail End Historic Site, otherwise known as 鈥淜endrick Mansion,鈥� a Flemish Revival mansion which is open to visitors from April to December. There is also the Museum at the Bighorns that will reopen again in the summer, featuring various periods and moments in Sheridan鈥檚 past, from the prehistoric to the Wild West.
Ten Sleep
Ten Sleep is far from a sleepy and lethargic town. Within the Ten Sleep Canyon and at the junction of NoWood and Ten Sleep creeks, travelers can participate in several rock climbing and canyon climbing exercises that will engage them in every way. The town received its name because it was a Native American rest stop that was within 10 days of travel, or 鈥�10 sleeps,鈥� from Fort Laramie, Yellowstone Park, and the Indian Agency at Stillwater, Montana. You can learn more about this history and other histories of Ten Sleep at either the Pioneer Museum, Pioneer Park, or the Ten Sleep Public Library.
From within the Ten Sleep Canyon and Powder River Pass, you can enter the scenic areas of the Nature Conservancy Ten Sleep Preserve (formerly the Girl Scouts National Center West), where huge populations of mammals and more than 100 bird species are abundant. Once more, you will not feel so sleepy when watching the annual Ten Sleep Rodeo that mainly occurs around the week of the Fourth of July. However, if you eventually get drowsy from all your adventures, you can always rest peacefully in one of Ten Sleep鈥檚 soothing lodgings like The Carter Inn.
Pinedale
Many pines for vacation retreats and outdoor recreation, and one can attain these goals in the small town of Pinedale. Just south of Dubois and across the Wind River Mountains, Pinedale is a gateway community to the mountainous marvels within the Wyoming Range and Gros Ventre Mountains. The town is lauded for being 鈥淭he Real Wyoming鈥� since the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade era of the early 1800s prospered more prominently in Pinedale than anywhere else in Wyoming.
The Green River Drift, occurring in the months of June and October, is the nation鈥檚 oldest and longest cattle drive and the first ranching-related Traditional Cultural Property listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Another grand exodus occurring in Pinedale is the Path of the Pronghorn, one of the last remaining long-distance animal migrations in the Western Hemisphere, where visitors can observe pronghorns and other animals safely cross roadways and other paths through Pinedale.
The southern side of the Wind River Range is a rejuvenating area filled with alpine lakes and glacier-formed valleys and landscapes that you can photograph. However, these mountains can also be the most challenging places to go through, especially during The Drift, an annual high-elevation winter ultramarathon in the U.S. where racers (鈥渄rifters鈥�) wade through extreme elements and elevation to run, bike, or ski through 13 to 100 miles of courses in the Green River valley. Of course, suppose you would rather stay indoors and keep yourself warm on the cold days in Pinedale. In that case, you will be able to book many accommodations at either the Sundance Motel, the Pinedale Hotel & Suites, or Pinedale Cozy Cabins.
Thermopolis
Some might presume a place called Thermopolis would be located in Greece. However, Thermopolis (Hot City) is, in fact, a warm and friendly small town in Wyoming about 60 miles away from Ten Sleep. As the Greek name implies, Thermopolis is known for its hot attractions, especially the mineral hot springs all over the area and around the Bighorn River that serve as small and suitable introductions to the much bigger hot springs in the Yellowstone Caldera. Hot Springs State Park, home of the 鈥満＝巧缜�檚 Largest Mineral Hot Springs,鈥� is where most of these mineral-rich hot springs can be found.
To the south of Thermopolis and where the Bighorn River ends, you will find the Wind River Canyon's impressive walls and, finally, the vast expanses of the Boysen State Park, where the Boysen Reservoir shines beneath the sun. One can learn much more about Thermopolis and its history at both the Legend Rock Petroglyph site and the Hot Springs County Museum. Finally, one can enjoy a couple of nights鈥� sleep and relaxation in places like the Paintbrush Inn, the Rainbow Motel, or the Hot Springs Hotel and Spa.
Sundance
Sundance is a splendid small town with both a sunny disposition and stunning history. It was named after the Sun Dance, a Native American ceremony reaffirming one鈥檚 basic beliefs about the universe and the supernatural vis-脿-vis rituals of personal and community sacrifice. Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, better known as the Sundance Kid, got his name when performing the ritual at the precise site of the town鈥檚 location. The Crook County Museum & 1875 Art Gallery recounts much of the Sundance Kid鈥檚 time in Sundance when he was imprisoned there.
About 28 miles from Sundance, travelers can find the Devil's Tower, the first national monument in the US, rising 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River and located in the frozen heart of an extinct volcano. Meanwhile, about 13 miles from Sundance is The Vore Buffalo Jump Site, where butchered bones of over 10,000 bison, as well as thousands of chipped stone arrow points, knives, and other tools, are located and are open to visitors from July 1 through August 6. More historic and natural wonders are in store in the shining small town of Sundance, so you should consider booking a room in one of Sundance鈥檚 superb accommodations, such as the Bearlodge Mountain Resort or Serena Inn & Suites.
Centennial
Approximately 45 miles west of the city of Laramie, the serene small town of Centennial is a once-in-a-lifetime getaway into the wild and verdant outdoors of Wyoming. It is idyllically located at the bottom of the Snowy Range Scenic Byway and thrives as a gateway community to the Snowy Range Mountains and the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. This particular segment of the Little Laramie River was once a hunting site for the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Ute, and Lakota Native Americans before ranchers and homesteaders built more permanent structures in the Centennial Valley.
Centennial mainly existed to support the railroad and timber industries in Laramie, and abandoned areas like the Queen's Silver Mine showcase the mining and industrial workplaces that Centennial was known for. Most of the time, visitors are encouraged to go exploring in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, most notably the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain and Browns Peak, where one can get an unspoiled and impeccable view of the land. You might also fancy skiing and snowboarding in opportune areas like the Snowy Range Ski Area. In any case, you can spend a longer time in Centennial by first booking a room at either the Old Corral Hotel & Steakhouse or the Snowy Hideout.
Lander
The humble town of Lander is situated along the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River and just south of the Wind River Reservation. It was once part of the traditional territory of the Shoshone people until the region was settled in the 1870s around Forts Augur and Brown. The small town of Lander is mainly known for preserving several historic ranches from its early pioneering and ranching days. It is also known for hosting annual powwows such as the Ethete Celebration and Powwow in July and the Northern Arapaho Powwow in September, the latter being Wyoming鈥檚 oldest powwow.
To appreciate more of the culture and history prevalent in Lander, you can admire the exhibits and artifacts at the Fremont County Pioneer Museum, which date from prehistoric times through the 1920s. Within the Wind River Reservation, you might come across the grave of Sacagawea, the Shoshone woman who acted as a guide for Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on their expedition throughout America. At the end of the day, you can retire and keep yourself nice and comfortable in one of Lander鈥檚 resplendent abodes like the Silver Spur Motel or the Frontier Lodge.
Cody
Deriving its name from William Frederick 鈥淏uffalo Bill鈥� Cody, who helped found the town in 1896, the small town of Cody is an insightful historic destination. Buffalo Bill found the flowing Shoshone River and the Absaroka Mountains in the background so beautiful a place to live that he established his eponymous town for the sake of hunting, irrigation, settlement, and the like near Yellowstone. One can learn more about Buffalo Bill at the Buffalo Bill Museum. On the other hand, the Draper Natural History Museum features information on the local wildlife and biomes that you can enjoy around Cody. At the same time, the Plains Indian Museum hosts a traditional powwow every June.
For those of you who want a vicarious experience of the Wild West, you can immerse yourself in this period of the past at the Old Trail Town, a re-created frontier town with 1800s log cabins and a saloon. You might also be curious to explore the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, which was a Japanese-American confinement site from 海角社区 War II. A recommended lodging in Cody includes the Irma Hotel, which was built by Buffalo Bill himself and reenacts a popular shootout between the Wild Bunch and other gangs during the summer.
Conclusion
The Equality State of Wyoming was the first state in 1869 to give women the right to vote. It is also the state where the first national forest鈥攖he Shoshone Forest鈥攁nd the first national monument鈥攖he Devil's Tower鈥攚ere constituted. Most of all, Wyoming is the state where you can experience some of the best of the American outdoors and immerse in the outlaw dreams of the Wild West in the top 11 Wyoming towns to visit in 2025. In destinations like Lander and Cody, you can watch Native American powwows and other celebrations of the past and the future. In places like Dubois and Sheridan, you can learn more about the historical figures and events that shaped Wyoming and the whole of America. Finally, in locations such as Jackson and Thermopolis, you can be entreated in the unchanged and unspoiled mountains, forests, and hot springs the Equality State promotes and preserves.
